Tag Archives | dads

Trust yourself A lot of parenting is intuitive and it’s important that you maintain this trust in yourself. It’ a job that requires you to be constantly adaptive and flexible; and sometimes all you have to depend on is you. It’s also important to be confident – even when you know you’re winging it. Remember […]

The sharp increase in the uptake of medication for children is worrying Dr Chris van Tulleken in his recent series, ‘The Doctor who gave up Drugs’ (shown on BBC1 in June 2018). He worked out that we are giving British kids three times more medication than we were 40 years ago. This includes a shocking […]

Discipline, as Dan Siegel (the Neuroscientist) says, is ‘one of the most loving and nurturing things we can do for kids.’ I asked my 15 year old what came to her mind when I said, ‘discipline’ and her response was telling. ‘It means I need to be taught a lesson but in a bad way’. […]

We all know that the early years for a child are an essential time for healthy growth and development, particularly between conception and 3 years. Children’s brains are at their most active during the first five years of life, which means neuroplasticity (when brains make neural connections in response to environments) is rapid. ‘Early Years’ […]

My daughter and I went to see the film, Lady Bird (Cert. 15), this month. It’s a coming-of-age story of a 17 year old teenage girl and the turbulent relationship she has with her mother. Written and directed by Greta Gerwig, her working title was Mothers and Daughters – an insight into mother-daughter relationships – […]

“Most people do not listen with the intent to understand; they listen with the intent to reply,” said Steven Covey, the man who wrote The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People. This is certainly the case when it comes to many parents (including me). So what is it that stops us from fulfilling the seemingly […]

(Previously published in the Eastern Daily Press, 22nd February, 2018) Earlier this month parenting expert Andrea Rippon said there was no such thing as bad behaviour. A reader was not so sure. A Nation of little Emperors? Reader: “I also feel that there is no such thing as a ‘bad’ child. But what about the […]

Muddling Through by Leah Larwood Nobody hands you an instruction manual when you become a parent. If you’re lucky, a flurry of well-meaning friends will probably lend you a selection of parenting books, each one containing fascinating yet vastly conflicting advice, leaving you with less answers than you had before. More often than not, most […]

‘Whaaaat?’ I hear you shout, ‘No way!’ Well, it’s true and I’m going to tell you why. Children (like adults) are continually trying to meet their needs. Their behaviour is what they say or do, in response to a need being met (or not). Imagine two children waiting to be chosen by someone, to be […]